The present invention relates to a method for distributing information from at least one content source to at least one client by means of a network and a server, to a system for distributing information as well as to a server for distributing information.
It is generally known to distribute (share) information in a network comprising at least one server and at least one client.
From EP-A-749 081 an information and advertising distribution system is known. A data server stores and updates a data base of information items and advertisements. The information items and advertisements are each categorized so that each has an associated information category. Work stations remotely located from the data server each include a display device, a communication interlace for receiving at least a subset of the information items and advertisements in the data server""s database and local memory for storing the information items and advertisements received from the data server. An information administrator in each work station establishes communication with the data server from time to time so as to update the information items and advertisements stored in a local memory with at least a subset of the information items and advertisements stored by the data server. An information display controller in each work station displays on the work stations display device at least a subset of the information items and advertisements stored in a local memory when the work station needs predefined idleness criteria. At least a subset of the work stations include a profile of a storing subscriber profile data. The subscriber profile data represents subscriber information viewing preferences, indicating information categories for which the subscriber does and does not want to view information items. The information display controller includes a filter for excluding from the information items displayed on the display device those information items inconsistent with its subscriber profile data. According to this known system therefore a filter process is effected on the remote work stations on the basis of the information items and the subscriber profile data stored in the profiler of the work stations.
From U.S. Pat. No. 5,515,098 a system for distributing commercials to an individually addressable subscriber terminal on a network is known. Commercial messages to be distributed over the network contain imbedded information identifying categories of recipients for each message. A server located on the network, provides each commercial with addresses of terminals to which the commercial is to be distributed. The addresses are selected by the server based on demographic and other information related to the households of subscribers. The commercial is received by an addressable set-top box and displayed on a TV screen.
From U.S. Pat. No. 5,864,823 a system for distribution of advertisements to interested recipients only via one-way non-addressable television media and for transmission of orders from recipients to advertisers via two-way addressable Internet media is known. At the recipients side, each preliminary message is processed by a computer that stores recipients profile data, and if the profile indicates an interest, the corresponding advertisement is selected and its presentation is recorded at the time of transmission. The recipients never see the messages as they are intended for high-speed-volume automatic processing by the recipients computers. Each recipients computer compares all preliminary messages with recipients profile data so that each advertisement would be selected or rejected before it is transmitted. Profile data are collected by presenting relevant questions with multiple-choice answers to the recipient. The non-addressable communication medium therefore is only used for transmission of preliminary messages which are not viewable by the user. It is important to note that the preliminary message is sent prior to the advertisement and therefore the content itself. Prior to the transmission of a digital file containing an content an authorization message can be sent via e-mail to recipients. The message specifies access dieter.
Furthermore the use of profile databases is known. In the following documents disclosing profile databases will be shortly cited. From U.S. Pat. No. 5,537,586 an apparatus for retrieving and selecting profiled textual information records from a data base of defined category structures is known. Priority values are assigned to each of a plurality of predefined category structures. Textual records are assigned a relevance value with respect to each category structure. If a record""s relevance value exceeds a predetermined threshold value, that record is associated with the category structure. Each category has a list of associated textual records which are retrieved. Textural records are selected from the set of retrieved textural records and assembled into a set. Information on how the subscriber uses the set is gathered, and new rankings for the category structure are computed.
From U.S. Pat. No. 5,617,565 a broadcast interactive multimedia system is known. In said document a procedure for selecting and storing data elements communicated from a common data base to users of the data base utilising a communication link between each transmitter and a concomitant receiver accessible by the user is known. The transmitted information is augmented with attributes which are used at the receiver to select and then store locally only that information of interest to each receiver""s user, wherein the attributes and the user selection paten determine secretariat for storing information locally.
From EP-A-718 784 a personalised information retrieval method and system based on a user-defined profile is known. A user-controlled client establishes communication with a stateless server, the server presenting a list of options to the client between the server and the client. The client provides an identification of the user-defined profile.
It is the object of the present invention to provide for a technique for distributing information in a network in a particularly efficient way.
The object is achieved by means of the features of the independent claims. The dependent claims develop further the central idea of the present invention.
According to the present invention therefore a method for distributing information from at least one content source, e.g. a content source to at least one client by means of a network and a distribution server is proposed. A profile data base which is associated to the distribution server is created, wherein in the profile data base client profile information is stored. A target counter request from one of the content sources is sent to the distribution server, wherein in the target counter request contains target client information. Then a target count is effected in the distribution server by comparing the client profile information of the profile data base with a target client information of the target count request. Then information from one of the content sources is distributed to at least one client by means of the distribution server, wherein the information is distributed in correspondence to the result of the target count step. xe2x80x9cIn correspondence to the result of the target count stepxe2x80x9d can for example mean that parameters of the logical or physical channel from the distribution server to the client are changed depending on the target count step.
For example, in case the result of the target count step exceeds a predetermined threshold, the information can be distributed from the distribution server to the clients by means of a broadcast transmission. In case the result of the target count step is smaller than the predetermined threshold, the information can be distributed from the distribution server to the clients by means of a target transmission.
Broadcast transmission in the sense of the present description is any transmission of information according to which no address part is attached to the information. In contrast thereto target transmission is to be understood as a transmission according to which an address part or address tag is attached to the information to be transmitted such that the target of the transmission is identified.
A feedback channel is created respectively from a client, which just received information distributed by the distribution server, to the distribution server, for transmitting an action feedback information representing an action of a user of the corresponding client in response to the information distributed by the distribution server.
The action feedback information can be used to update the profile data base.
An action report information based on the action feedback information can be generated in the distribution server and transmitted to the corresponding content source.
The information distributed by the distribution server can contain a link information representing an address of the network at which address further information related to the information distributed by the distribution server is stored.
The following steps can be executed to update the profile data base during a sign-up process:
a registration request can be sent from a client to the distribution server,
subsequently a predefined registration form is sent from the distribution server to the corresponding client,
user details are sent in response to the predefined registration form from the corresponding client to the distribution server, and
the profile data base is updated on the basis of the user details.
According to the present invention furthermore a system for distributing information is provided. The system comprises at least one content source, at least one client, a communication network, a distribution server, a profile data base associated with the distribution server in which client profile information is stored, and a target count unit in the distribution server for effecting a target count by comparing the client profile information of the profile data base with target client information of a target count request sent from one of the content sources. The information from one of the content sources is distributed to at least one client by means of the distribution server in correspondence to the result of the target count. The content sources can for example be content sources.
The distribution server of the unit can comprise a unit for changing the parameters of the logical and/or physical distribution channel from the distribution server to the at least one client depending on the target count.
In the distribution server a decision unit can be provided which compares the result of the target count to the predetermined threshold. In case the result of the target count exceeds a predetermined threshold, the information is distributed from the distribution server to the clients by means of a broadcast transmission. In case the result of the target count is smaller than a predetermined threshold, the information is distributed from the distribution server to the clients by means of a targeted transmission.
A feedback channel can be established respectively from a client, which received information distributed by the distribution server, to the distribution server, for transmitting an action feedback information representing an action of a user of the corresponding client in response to the information distributed by the distribution server.
The action feedback information can be used to update the profile data base.
The distribution server can generate an action report information based on the action feedback information and transmit the action report information to the corresponding content source.
The information distributed by the distribution server can contain a link information representing an address of the network where further information related to the information distributed by the distribution server is stored.
The profile data base can be updated every time a use of a client is signing up with the distribution server.
According to the present invention furthermore a distribution server comprising a profile data base and a target count unit is provided. The distribution server of the unit can comprise a unit for changing the parameters of the logical and/or physical distribution channel from the distribution server to the at least one client depending on the target count.
The distribution server can comprise a feedback evaluation unit for analysing a feedback channel signal from one of the clients. Furthermore the server can comprise a decision unit.